Hell is Empty
by smolwarden
Summary: This is a multi chapter fic I'm publishing on AO3. Due to the FFN guidelines I am unable to post it here because it will be rated M. I have posted the first chapter as a teaser. If you like it and wish to continue reading you can check it out on AO3. It's posted with the same title. Or you can find it on my profile, smolwarden. I'm sorry to do this.


"By the stone," Inha swore under her breath as she paced in the small hut designated for her. She had no idea how she got into this situation. She was enjoying her time in Orzammar waiting for a job when she was plucked out of the city and told to sneak into the Divine Conclave and report on what happened. The conclave would impact the demand for lyrium in immeasurable ways and the Carta wanted to be ahead of that demand.

In under 24 hours Inha had gone from revered Carta member, to prisoner, to a symbol for a god she didn't believe in. The unnatural green scar that tore across her left hand marked her as such. She clenched her fists into tight balls and bore her nails into her palms. She was tired and frustrated with the whole damn thing.

She stopped pacing mid-step and with an exasperated sigh and threw her hands in the air, letting them fall back to her sides with a loud clap. Inha looked around the room for the first time since she woke up, taking the time to scan her surroundings. The room was barren save for a few furnishings but it was more than she was used to; at least she had a real bed. There was a small table next to the bed and she walked over to it; noticing there was a piece of paper lying face down she picked it up and skimmed the contents.

"Ancestors have mercy!" Inha exclaimed. "So the little elven girl wasn't lying. I really have been out for three days." She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and shrugged into her leathers, making sure her daggers were secured at her hip. Based on the elven girl's proclamations Inha figured Lady Cassandra would want to see her now that she was awake, and the Seeker didn't seem like the kind of person who liked to be kept waiting.

When she opened the door Inha was shocked to see the horde of people lining the walkway up to her hut. As she made her way to the Chantry she could feel their eyes on her and hear their whispers as if they were screams. Each word, every mention of the "Herald of Andraste", made bile rise up in her throat that she had to fight to keep contained. It seemed as if every soul in Haven had been waiting to lay eyes on her not unlike a cat waits for its prey. As she neared the Chantry the crowd thinned out and Inha sighed in relief. By the time she reached the reached the steps leading up to the large building there was no one lined up to gawk at her.

The first thing Inha noticed when she opened the Chantry doors was earsplitting arguing coming from the back. Despite distance and at least one set of closed doors between them she could hear the exchange as if it was taking place next to her. A familiar accented voice, harsh but not all unpleasant, pulled her forward. Cassandra had a different opinion on the current situation than the Chancellor, one she was not backing down from. Inha braced herself for whatever waited for her and threw open the large doors drawing the attention of the room's occupants.

"Chain her!" shouted a man in Chantry robes, "I want her prepared for travel to the capital for trial."

The Seeker stood opposite Inha, leaning on a table with parchments and books spread out in front of her. Cassandra briefly looked up from the table to dismiss the guards before pushing herself up to her full height to address the protesting Chancellor.

"The Breach is stable, but it is still a threat. I will not ignore it."

Inha walked up to the table and rested her hands on her hips. It didn't seem like this was going to end in her favor. "Let me guess," she started her voice devoid of emotion, "you need my help."

"You have done plenty!" the Chancellor bellowed down at her. Inha could see the veins around his temple pulsing. "Your actions will be taken into account by the new Divine."

"Have a care, Chancellor. The Breach is not the only threat we face. The Maker sent her to us in our darkest hour."

Inha's eyes snapped up to meet the Seekers'. "Wait, you honestly can't believe I'm any kind of 'Chosen One'. I'm a _dwarf_ ," she swept her arm down the length of her body in emphasis, "you realize that, right? Do you really think your Maker would send someone like me?"

"Humans are not the only people with an interest in the fate of the world." Cassandra's disapproval was blatant yet her voice betrayed no emotion. She spoke with a tone of finality as she continued. "No matter what you are, or what you believe, you are exactly what we need."

 _Well, shit_. Inha thought to herself. There went her chances of walking out of here a free woman. Whether she was kept prisoner and sent to trial didn't matter anymore. She had spent more than enough time with the Carta to know when she would be working for someone else, despite her feelings on the matter.

A red haired woman, Leliana, stepped forward and joined in the conversation. Inha listened to the three of them bicker while trying to figure out how she felt about the situation. She glanced down at the glowing green scar carved into her palm. Her shoulders sank, tension she didn't realize she was holding released from them and a sigh escaped her lips. She was needed here, of that she was certain, but she was wary of the intentions of her captors. She had seen plenty of people slaughtered after their usefulness ran out.

The sound of Cassandra slamming a thick book on the table snapped the dwarf out of her thoughts. She watched, enraptured, as the Seeker declared the Inquisition reborn and all but sent the Chancellor running with his tail between his legs. Cassandra struck Inha as the kind of woman that could fix whatever was going on out of sheer force of will. She couldn't help but admire the Seeker in that moment.

The redhead walked forward and placed her hand on the book Cassandra had thrown down. "This is the Divine's directive; rebuild the Inquisition of old. Find those who would stand against the chaos. We aren't ready. We have no leader," she glanced at Inha before continuing. "We have no numbers. And now, no Chantry support."

"But we have no choice," Cassandra countered. "We must act now, with you at our side." She turned to address Inha.

Both women now had their gazes cast upon the dwarf waiting for her response. "If you're truly trying to restore order, I want to help." She may have been a member of the Carta, and she may not be excited about this, but Inha was not heartless. She would not stand idly by and watch the world burn when there was something she could do about it. More-so when she was probably the _only one_ who could do something about it. Cassandra extended her hand and Inha gripped it tightly, looking the other woman in the eyes. With that the Inquisition was revitalized and word was sent out across Thedas.

The door across the table from the women opened and two figures emerged from behind it. Inha tensed at the sudden intrusion, fearful that the Chancellor had returned to imprison her once more. A familiar blonde haired man stepped over the threshold first followed by a beautiful tan woman and Inha shook the tension out of her muscles, she was safe, for now. They both nodded at Cassandra then fixed their gazes on Inha.

"Herald, may I present Commander Cullen," Cassandra extended an arm towards the man.

"Yes, I remember him from earlier. The mighty military leader," she smiled up at him. "Good to see you again."

"This," Cassandra was already moving on, "is Lady Josephine Montilyet; our ambassador and chief diplomat. And you already know Sister Leliana, she is our Spymaster."

With the introductions, brief as they were, out of the way Cassandra and the three advisors discussed their next plan of action. They needed help, be it mage or Templar, but Josephine informed the group that the Chantry had denounced them. They had been branded as heretics and traitors—enemies of the Divine. As a religious organization without Chantry support their options were limited.

Inha thumbed at the mark on her hand aware of its dull throbbing. It didn't hurt like it did when she first woke, but it was still there strong enough that she didn't think she would ever get used to it. The longer she played with it the more doubt crawled to the front of her mind. Inha knew she was to blame for it and hoped she would be able to help the Inquisition instead of making things worse.

She was content to let the other four of the room's occupants control the conversation but they kept turning their focus on her. She tried to be a passive observer—a glance here, a head nod there. However, they assaulted her with questions; each one firing off in rapid succession.

"Herald, how do you feel about that?"

"What do you think, Herald?"

"Would you side with the mages or the Templars?"

"Will you recruit agents and expand our influence?"

They looked to her for answers and sought out her advice with so much force it made her head spin. Whether intentional or not they had placed their faith in her to guide them; she was as much an advisor to them as they were to each other. She should have been used to it by now, but she struggled to contain her surprise. The myriad of strangers in front of her were not the first to look to her for answers; answers she would never have.

Leliana directed her towards Mother Giselle, a Chantry cleric who had requested to speak with her. If they were to make amends with the Chantry she would be the best place to start. Her assistance could be invaluable if she could convince the cleric to join them. Tasked with her first mission as a member of the Inquisition the impromptu meeting was brought to a close and Inha made her way out of the Chantry. The crowd from earlier had dissipated while she met with Cassandra and the others. For the first time that day Inha felt like she could breathe.

Despite being unconscious for three days her body still ached and was heavy with exhaustion. She rolled her shoulders and neck in an attempt to soothe her muscles as she walked. Snow began to fall as she walked down the path littering her lashes with fat flakes. Mother Giselle would have to wait, for now Inha wanted nothing more than a warm drink and some rest.

Without direction she wandered through the village surveying the bustle of its inhabitants and an unfamiliar loneliness crept over her. She was part of the Inquisition now but she didn't belong. There were humans and elves aplenty but other than Varric she had yet to see another dwarf. Her presence was artificial, her importance exaggerated. Be it chance or fate it was the power cut into her hand that brought her to where she was now.

She peered into the huts as she passed each one, pausing to gaze into the tavern. Strangers sat at tables around half empty pitchers, some shared laughs, others bonded over the fear of what was to come. She flirted with the idea of escaping the cold, her hand hovering over the door handle before she withdrew and pushed the thought from her mind. She turned away from the building and continued her self-guided tour. Perhaps one day she would join them but for now she was eyed with suspicion and mistrust, whispers following her.

A faint thrum resonated in her like a second heartbeat just out of rhythm with her own urging her towards the main gate. Her Stone sense, while weak, sang to her guiding her forward. It was different than anything she had felt before, it was thick and scratchy like wading through muddy water. However she was on the Surface, her sense shouldn't be active. Still she closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the Stone. Smoky tendrils danced across her eyelids guiding her, unease churning in her gut. Something about it was wrong but her feet moved under her with purpose over the rocky terrain.

Searing pain flashed in her hand causing her to cry out. When the pain subsided she opened her eyes and found herself at the edge of a frozen lake. Haven's gate was a faint line in the distance behind her. How far had she gone? She tried to find the source of what triggered her Stone sense but whatever had called out to her was long gone. Her brows knitted in confusion as she gazed out on the icy water.

Through the cold she heard someone shouting a name almost forgotten to her. The call was a faint whisper in her ear and Inha dismissed it. Surely it was her fatigue and the wind playing tricks on her.

"Pumpkin!" A gruff voice called out behind her sharper this time. " _PUMPKIN!_ "

She turned at the unusual title and was surprised to see Varric running towards her. He stopped only when he stood an arm's reach away from her, eyeing her with his scrutinizing gaze.

"What are you doing?" He asked breathing heavy from the unexpected run.

Her eyes darted between Varric and the frozen lake next to her, heat rising in her cheeks. "Would you believe me if I said I wanted to swim?"

"Look I know-," Varric started but cut himself off, all of a sudden unable to meet her gaze. "Something tells me you're not out here for a swim. So again, what are you doing?"

"Oh you know," she let her voice rise and fall forcing the playful tone, "just your typical shifty smuggler business."

"Well I guess it's a good thing I followed you. Two shifty smugglers are better than one," he let out a chuckle that Inha tried, and failed, to return. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on?"

"I-" she started but her voice faltered, cracking under the weight of her unease. "I don't know."

"You don't know? You come running out of Haven faster than any dwarf in recorded history, damn near throw yourself in the lake and don't know why. Sounds believable." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and relaxed his weight on one foot. His tone was light but there was something deeper behind his stance and his words; he didn't ask a question but he was waiting for an answer.

Inha appreciated that he wasn't prying giving her the freedom to respond with what was comfortable for her. She eyed the dwarf in front of her, eyes scanning and evaluating him. She saw secrets behind his eyes, pain hiding in his edges, stories in the lines of his hands. He was a man that had lived lives that weren't his own, he carried the burden of everyone else on his shoulders. Inha didn't want to add to that burden, hers was not meant for him, but she needed someone she could trust and at least for now Varric was that someone.


End file.
